diff --git a/pkg/api/rest/create.go b/pkg/api/rest/create.go
index c74c9a60d5..fafaad5169 100644
--- a/pkg/api/rest/create.go
+++ b/pkg/api/rest/create.go
@@ -87,12 +87,12 @@ func CheckGeneratedNameError(strategy RESTCreateStrategy, err error, obj runtime
 }
 
 // objectMetaAndKind retrieves kind and ObjectMeta from a runtime object, or returns an error.
-func objectMetaAndKind(strategy RESTCreateStrategy, obj runtime.Object) (*api.ObjectMeta, string, error) {
+func objectMetaAndKind(typer runtime.ObjectTyper, obj runtime.Object) (*api.ObjectMeta, string, error) {
 	objectMeta, err := api.ObjectMetaFor(obj)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, "", errors.NewInternalError(err)
 	}
-	_, kind, err := strategy.ObjectVersionAndKind(obj)
+	_, kind, err := typer.ObjectVersionAndKind(obj)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, "", errors.NewInternalError(err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/api/rest/types.go b/pkg/api/rest/types.go
index 155aca37da..71c710f37c 100644
--- a/pkg/api/rest/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/rest/types.go
@@ -23,6 +23,27 @@ import (
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/runtime"
 )
 
+// ObjectFunc is a function to act on a given object. An error may be returned
+// if the hook cannot be completed. An ObjectFunc may transform the provided
+// object.
+type ObjectFunc func(obj runtime.Object) error
+
+// AllFuncs returns an ObjectFunc that attempts to run all of the provided functions
+// in order, returning early if there are any errors.
+func AllFuncs(fns ...ObjectFunc) ObjectFunc {
+	return func(obj runtime.Object) error {
+		for _, fn := range fns {
+			if fn == nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			if err := fn(obj); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // rcStrategy implements behavior for Replication Controllers.
 // TODO: move to a replicationcontroller specific package.
 type rcStrategy struct {
@@ -60,7 +81,7 @@ type podStrategy struct {
 
 // Pods is the default logic that applies when creating and updating Pod
 // objects.
-var Pods RESTCreateStrategy = podStrategy{api.Scheme, api.SimpleNameGenerator}
+var Pods = podStrategy{api.Scheme, api.SimpleNameGenerator}
 
 // NamespaceScoped is true for pods.
 func (podStrategy) NamespaceScoped() bool {
@@ -70,7 +91,9 @@ func (podStrategy) NamespaceScoped() bool {
 // ResetBeforeCreate clears fields that are not allowed to be set by end users on creation.
 func (podStrategy) ResetBeforeCreate(obj runtime.Object) {
 	pod := obj.(*api.Pod)
-	pod.Status = api.PodStatus{}
+	pod.Status = api.PodStatus{
+		Phase: api.PodPending,
+	}
 }
 
 // Validate validates a new pod.
@@ -79,6 +102,16 @@ func (podStrategy) Validate(obj runtime.Object) errors.ValidationErrorList {
 	return validation.ValidatePod(pod)
 }
 
+// AllowCreateOnUpdate is false for pods.
+func (podStrategy) AllowCreateOnUpdate() bool {
+	return false
+}
+
+// ValidateUpdate is the default update validation for an end user.
+func (podStrategy) ValidateUpdate(obj, old runtime.Object) errors.ValidationErrorList {
+	return validation.ValidatePodUpdate(obj.(*api.Pod), old.(*api.Pod))
+}
+
 // svcStrategy implements behavior for Services
 // TODO: move to a service specific package.
 type svcStrategy struct {
diff --git a/pkg/api/rest/update.go b/pkg/api/rest/update.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b9eb43aaae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/api/rest/update.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2014 Google Inc. All rights reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package rest
+
+import (
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api/errors"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/runtime"
+)
+
+// RESTUpdateStrategy defines the minimum validation, accepted input, and
+// name generation behavior to update an object that follows Kubernetes
+// API conventions. A resource may have many UpdateStrategies, depending on
+// the call pattern in use.
+type RESTUpdateStrategy interface {
+	runtime.ObjectTyper
+	// NamespaceScoped returns true if the object must be within a namespace.
+	NamespaceScoped() bool
+	// AllowCreateOnUpdate returns true if the object can be created by a PUT.
+	AllowCreateOnUpdate() bool
+	// ValidateUpdate is invoked after default fields in the object have been filled in before
+	// the object is persisted.
+	ValidateUpdate(obj, old runtime.Object) errors.ValidationErrorList
+}
+
+// BeforeUpdate ensures that common operations for all resources are performed on update. It only returns
+// errors that can be converted to api.Status. It will invoke update validation with the provided existing
+// and updated objects.
+func BeforeUpdate(strategy RESTUpdateStrategy, ctx api.Context, obj, old runtime.Object) error {
+	objectMeta, kind, kerr := objectMetaAndKind(strategy, obj)
+	if kerr != nil {
+		return kerr
+	}
+	if strategy.NamespaceScoped() {
+		if !api.ValidNamespace(ctx, objectMeta) {
+			return errors.NewBadRequest("the namespace of the provided object does not match the namespace sent on the request")
+		}
+	} else {
+		objectMeta.Namespace = api.NamespaceNone
+	}
+	if errs := strategy.ValidateUpdate(obj, old); len(errs) > 0 {
+		return errors.NewInvalid(kind, objectMeta.Name, errs)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/api/validation/validation.go b/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
index 9eaa9b4aa0..4f916bba76 100644
--- a/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
@@ -561,7 +561,8 @@ func ValidatePodSpec(spec *api.PodSpec) errs.ValidationErrorList {
 	return allErrs
 }
 
-// ValidatePodUpdate tests to see if the update is legal
+// ValidatePodUpdate tests to see if the update is legal for an end user to make. newPod is updated with fields
+// that cannot be changed.
 func ValidatePodUpdate(newPod, oldPod *api.Pod) errs.ValidationErrorList {
 	allErrs := errs.ValidationErrorList{}
 
@@ -584,6 +585,7 @@ func ValidatePodUpdate(newPod, oldPod *api.Pod) errs.ValidationErrorList {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid("spec.containers", newPod.Spec.Containers, "some fields are immutable"))
 	}
 
+	newPod.Status = oldPod.Status
 	return allErrs
 }